Electric switch.



P. D. BUCKNUM.

ELECTRIC SWITCH APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1914.

1,126,953 Eatented Feb. 2, 1915.

THE PIC/WW5 PETERS co PHOTU LITHO, v/AsmrmmN, n cy PEARL 1). BUGKNUM, OF OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

Application filed January 30, 1914. Serial No. 815,485.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PEARL D. BUoxNUM. a citizen of the Oklahoma city, in the county of Oklahoma and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in electric switches and relates more particularly to automatic switches which may be readily employed in connection with burglar alarm systems for doors, windows, and the like.

object of the invention is to provide a switch of this character which will be of extremely simple construction and operation and which will automatically close to complete the circuit when the door or window to which the switch is connected, is opened. Another object is to provide a device of this character which will be of improved and novel form and composed of the minimum number of parts and which will therefore be cheap to manufacture as well as highly efficient and effective in use.

A further object is to generally improve and simplify the construction and operation of electric switches of this type and reduce the cost of manufacture thereof.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter more fully described claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved switch secured in position, a portion of a door and door frame to which the switch is applied being shown in section: Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the switch with the cover removed and the insulatingmember through which the main connecting wires are extended shown in section; and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2 with the cover in position.

Referring more specifically to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 and 2 designate the main conducting wires. The conducting wire 1 has one end secured upon the insulating plate 3 of asbestos or any other suitable material and secured to the inner face of the supporting plate 4, by the insulated staple United States, residing at members 5, the portion of the wire between the staples 5 being offset outwardly and exposed, as shown at 6. The conducting wire 9 has its corresponding end 7 exposed and wrapped around the spring contact member adjacent the coiled central portion 9 thereof. One end of the spring contact member 8 extends beneath the upstanding offset exposed or contact portion 6 of the conducting wire 1 and is normally engaged with the same to complete the circuit through the conducting wires 1 and 2. The opposite end of the spring contact member 8 is secured upon the insulating plate 3 by means of the insulated staple member 10. The member 8 is then bent at right angles in first one direction and then the other and then extended in alinement with the main portion of said member, thereby forming the opposite arms 11 which are also secured against the insulating plate 3 by staples 12. It will thus be seen that the second mentioned or lower arm of the spring contact member 8 is securely fastened against the insulating plate 3.

It will be understood that a suitable cover 13 having a lining 14 formed of any suitable material is secured upon the support ing plate a in any suitable manner such as by screws 15 positioned at the corners there of. The cover 13 has an opening 16 in one side with an insulating member 17 positioned therein, through which the conducting wires 1 and 2 are extended. It will be understood that the screws or other suitable means employed for securing the cover 13 upon the plate 14 may also serve as means for securing said plate 4 in position. The cover 13 also has an opening 18 in one end through which the first mentioned or contact end of the spring contact member 8 projects.

The plate 4 is secured to the door or window near the edge thereof so that the projecting end of the spring contact member 8 projects over the edge of said frame in order that said end may be pressed toward the plate 1 by the insulated circuit breaking member 19 projecting over the edge of the block 20 which is secured in any suitable manner to the door or window adjacent the edge thereof. It will therefore be seen that when the door or window is closed, the circuit breaking member 19 engages the projecting end of the spring contact memher 8 and forces the same away from the exposed oflset or contact portion 6 of the conducting wire 1, thereby breaking the connection between the conducting wires 1 and 2. As soon as the door or window is opened, however, the circuit breaking member 19 moves away from the projecting end of the spring contact member 8 and thereby allows the same to again engage the exposed offset or contact portion 6 of the conducting wire 1 and complete the circuit through the conducting wires 1 and 2 and cause a bell or other signal in the circuit to operate. It will be evident that any desired signal or alarm may be placed in the circuit and, if desired, the lights in one or more rooms of the building may be connected with the circuit, thereby causing the lights to be lighted when the spring contact member 8 engages the exposed offset or contact portion 6 of the conducting wire 1.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, it Will be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangements of parts may be made Within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing any of the advantages of the same What I claim is 1. A device of the class described com prising a support, a lJeshaped spring contact member having a coiled central portion, one arm of said contact member being free, a conducting wire having one end secured to the U-shaped member adjacent the coiled portion thereof, a second conducting wire having one end secured to the support and insulated from the same, said end of the second conducting wire having an offset ex- Copis of this patent may be obtained for posed Contact person,

the free arm of the contact member being normally engaged with the contact portion of the second wire 40 to complete the circuit through the conducting Wires, and means for retaining the free arm of the contact member in spaced rela tion to the contact portion of the second conducting wire.

2. A device of the class described comprising a support, a U-shaped spring contact member having a coiled central portion, one arm of said member being bent to form oppositely directed arms, means for securing said arms of the U-shaped member to the support, the opposite arm of said contact member being free, a conducting wire having one end secured to the U-shaped member adjacent the coiled portion thereof, a second conducting wire having one end secured to the support and insulated from the same, said end of the second conducting wire having an offset exposedcontact portion, the free end of the contact member being normally engaged with said contact por tion of the second wire to complete the circuit through said conducting wires, and means for retaining said free end of the contact member in spaced relation to said contact portion of the second conducting;

wire. a

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

PEARL D. BUCKNUM.

MARGARET Ross.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

